NAIAS 2015: Toyota officially reveals the 2016 Tacoma

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma was designed by the company's own Calty Design Research

by Marcus De Guzman

January 15, 2015 14:32

After releasing a few images of their next-generation midsize pickup a few days ago, Toyota officially revealed the 2016 Tacoma at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

Labeled by the Japanese automaker as "Lord of the Rigs" due to the fact that it has been America's best selling midsize pickup for 10 years, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma features a redesigned exterior, a sport truck-inspired cabin and a new powertrain option.

With help from Toyota's own Calty Design Research, it has a Tundra-inspired front fascia which consist of a two-bar hexagonal grill, projector headlights with DRLs, foglamps, a muscular hood and a skid plate. The side features flared wheel arches, a character line at the lower section of the doors and a side-facing exhaust pipe.

The rear section on the other hand has vertical taillights, Tacoma lettering on the tailgate and 4x4/V6 badging near the taillights. Toyota also stated that the tailgate has a standard lowering feature that enables it to slowly retract, preventing it from slamming. Available for the first time on the new Tacoma is a tri-fold hard tonneau cover for the flatbed.

Aboard the 2016 Tacoma, one can see that the instrument panel has a 'handlebar' design theme which conveys a driver-focused experience according to Toyota. The cabin is trimmed with soft and metal accents while available features for the 2016 Tacoma include: wireless charging, smart key with push-button start, leather seats, power moonroof, dual-zone climate control and a touchscreen audio system.

Noise and vibration deadening were also improved as the 2016 Tacoma has better seals, a multi-layer acoustic windshield, a sound-absorbing headliner and a floor silencer pad.

Powering the entry-level models of the 2016 Tacoma will be a 2.7-liter inline-four engine while higher-tiered models will get the 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle V6 equipped with Toyota's D-4S technology, a segment-first according to Toyota. The Japanese automaker has not yet stated any official output ratings but both engines can be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift. An optional 6-speed manual can also be opted for models equipped with the 3.5-liter V6.

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma will be available in either 4x2 or 4x4 configurations and will come in five trim levels: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and Limited.